Hello,
I am in the market for a gun safe. Any suggestions? I am looking in the $500-$1000 range. I prefer the combination lock, not digital keypad(am wondering what would happen if battery dies or keypad malfuntions)
Also, they're pretty heavy, how do you move them in? A hand truck/dolley?
Thanks

In your price range I would suggest looking at the AMSEC American Security Gun Safe. That one is in the $900 range. It has the combination lock.

You might also want to look around at used office furniture stores. I bought a 60” tall safe years ago at just such a place for a very reasonable price. It wasn’t a gun safe but with a little carpentry I turned it into one.

To transport the safe, find a friend who has a truck equipped with a hydraulic lift tailgate. In many cities, you can rent this type of truck at places like Home Depot. The easiest way to move a safe across a floor is with a pallet jack. It’s good to have a couple of strong friends to lend a hand. Some safes have removable doors that lift off. Be careful, that door can weigh 150 lbs. or more.

Be sure to bolt the safe to the floor. A thief will not be able to remove it and you avoid the possibility that the safe could become unbalanced while the heavy door is open and topple over.

Thanks for the helpful tips. I believe I recall seeing one of those trucks at my Home Depot last time I was there.

I see they sell dehumidifiers for safe,
http://www.gunsafes.com/Sacc-Dry-Zon...umidifier.html
this stuff seems like a box of baking soda, will arm and hammer work?
Like this...
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...:referralID=NA

I’ve never used a commercial dehumidifier. I use DampRid moisture remover. I get a one pound can for around $3.50. I change it out periodically.

I don’t know if Arm & Hammer baking soda would work.

That DampRid stuff was the other thing I was thinking of, just couldnt put a name to the picture. Thanks

The keypad is much better IMHO. If you change the battery once a year, you should have no problem with it. If the keypad malfunctions, a locksmith can replace the keypad. It is much easier and quicker then the dial combination.

Avoid the electronic(battery) key pad type locks,I am currently in the process of wrangling with Cannon Safe to fix my non-operational electronic(battery) key pad.I have not had a operational gun safe for a month.I have spoke to the non-American barely english speaking folks in India.(The ladies are smarter than the men) and left messages with the American staff with no returned call to date.I will be having a mechanical lock installed and be done with the electronic ****.
My Cannon C-30 safe weighs 700lbs. it is movable with an appliance dollie on flat surfaces not so on stairs or inclines.Our local sporting goods store moves safes for $60-80.00

I have a Sentry office safe with an electronic lock. Had it for about a decade. Have never replaced the batteries that I can remember. Maybe I should. Having said that I'm locking at gunsafes and unless you have what seems like an eternity to spin the dial I'd go with the electronic lock. Bad customer service with one company doesn't mean electronic locks are evil.

On another note I've heard a number of complaints anout Cannon and lack of customer service. I crossed them off my list. My two finalists are Liberty or Rhino.

I've got a Liberty Centurion that I enjoy, and it's within that price range. They sell them at Lowes. My only complaint is that long guns will fill it up quick!

If I remember, it's in the 400lb range. Pretty heavy, but a friend and I managed it with an appliance dolly.

Just a friendly reminder. Buy bigger than you origionally intended. Especially if you tend to "Collect" stuff on a regular basis. Ask me how I know. Frank

a big +2 there.... I bought the biggest one I could find, Winchester, it is filled to the brim, "with stuff" 1000lbs empty. I did loooots of research before buying mine, this unit is one bad azzzz built vault with the digital lock. I agree 100%, it's the way to go. I just got up and unlocked it in about 2 seconds or less... not an exageration. Mine is 72" high by 40" wide and moving it was a bit intimidating at first, but we did it. I purchased from a local safe distributer about 1 hr from home, he was a great help , loaded it on the back of my dually.. got home and backed up to the patio. We had 4 of us to move it, was easy unloading from my truck bed, we pushed it off until the balance allowed it to slowly lower one end to the ground, then we stood it up.. phew..next we got a wheel dolly I had... not good, it was not really heavy enough but we secured it to the dolly and moved it about 20 ft into the doorway with the removed entry doors. We considered removing the vault door but were advised not to under any conditions. Now we had to move it about another 20ft to it's final destination, since it was going over the rug, I used the card board box it came with and made a path over to the wall to protect the rug. This is where we got really lucky or God decided it was his turn to step in... as we struggled to push the vault through the door onto the cardboard... as soon as the vault hit the cardboard it slid like butter... we looked at each other and said, " no way " ya way... slid it across that cardboard like it was on wheels... ... we muscled it the rest of the way..

The last thing I will say, I purchased from a specialist with vaults, he was knowledgeable, had about every safe you could imagine on site and here's the key, any problems... I call him... he speaks my language!!

hope this helps,

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Jack C

The othr advantge to an electronic keypad s tht you can change the combinatin yourself, and if you have one like mine, you can add up to 9 additional combinations (one master combo, and 9 additional combos). Easy to enter and/or delete, and easy to change the master.

I have a safe at my store with a keypad lock. Gets opened at least once a day and have never had any problems with it.

IMHO, the way to go.

I use a Remington silaca gel dehumidifier to protect the safe's contents. When the moisture indicator changes color you plug it into an outlet and a heating element dries out the dessicant. It seems to work well...

Remington Model 365 Silica Gel Desiccant Dehumidifier 400 Gram (Protects 30 Cubic Feet) - MidwayUSA

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"Shall not be infringed"

oh ya, one more thing, I had 110 power in the vault so I had some of those rope lites from HD I ran around the inside of the vault with the supplied dehumidifier bar and it's nice and warm and dry inside... plus I can see in the dark inside my safe...

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Jack C

Academy had a pretty large Cannon safe for $999 just before Christmas. My buddy needed another safe, so he grabbed one. Last week, they were reduced to $899. You might want to take a look at one of those. The average thief just sees a big intimidating safe. He probably doesn't know a Franklin from a Lincoln from a National Security...hopefully, he sees a big safe and just goes away.

I bought a Wally Mart safe with a combo lock. To augement its security I drilled holes and installed 2 massive Abus hasps. 2 huge American Standard locks and I feel good about my guns safety. Bolted down securely too.

i think i have the same safe..the winchester legacy....it IS a big strong safe...i love it

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Yes Kenny, that's the one 72" high!!! I stuffed it, rifles on the left and right, ammo in the middle. Hand guns on the top shelf and the 1st shelf along with some mis. magazines and stuff. It is stuffed full... then I have another one of those metal gun safe, thin walled with 2 locks, got all the shotguns and misc. rifles in.. and one more of those I am trying to figure out how to set up. I think I may put shelves in it and use it for ammo, then take the center section of the Legacy and put more rifles in it. I actually have sevral rifles out and now several handguns I am having trouble getting in easily.. damnnn, just bought my first SW500 over the weekend.. may have to buy another Legacy just for that cannon!! Ya know... all kidding aside, I really do need another Legacy.... I just really don't have anywhere comfortable to put it!!

Oh ya, I also have those holsters that velcro on the inside of the wall of the door, so I have several guns there, my go to ones and below the pistols I velcroed one of those 6 magazine holders from Midway on the there with a loaded mag for each gun..

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Jack C

Avoid Liberty like the plague...nothing but problems with mine..the electronic lock and guts failed two times. Poor service to correct their "lifetime" warranty, they provided the wrong drill points to the locksmith as a result he tripped the failsafe..took almost 7 hours to open after that happened...The entire door had to be replaced...Never again will I buy Liberty or an electronic locking safe with out a keybackup.

ok..You have to do a look on line for the vid.. of two guys and two pry bars..They pop open cheap safes in like one minute.. You will be terrified! I will look for it now.. search..One guy walks in and pushes the safe over then they go at it.. tape your jaw up.. it's fast... bottom line is you get what you pay for.

yep...that video is all over the web...thats one reason to bolt your safe down...a thousand pound safe,bolted down,full of guns is NOT going to be pushed over by one guy...you can be sure of that

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I doubt your gonna find a 1000 lbs safe for 800 bucks.. Safes are not hard to push over I moved mine lots of times and it's a heavy sucker....just sayin..

a properly bolted down safe (as they all should be) is not going to be pushed over by one guy...
just sayin

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

DO NOT GET THE ELECTRONIC LOCK.

For the money spent take a look at Sturdy Safe.

Fire Safes : Gun Safes : Sturdy Safe

Study their sight carefully, lots of great info there.